A report released by the Keystone Research Center today highlights the growing divide between the compensation and benefits provided to permanent faculty members and those for nonpermanent faculty members. The report looked at 32 colleges and universities in Pennsylvania that receive public funds and found that contingent faculty members teach 42 percent of the courses offered but are paid considerably less per course than their tenured and tenure-track colleagues, and that most receive no health or pension benefits. It recommended that the state increase its support for higher education and dedicate a portion of the increase to reducing the “extreme degree of inequity within the teaching ranks.”
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5 Responses to Pay Gap Grows Between Permanent and Nonpermanent Faculty in Pa.
stannadel - January 20, 2011 at 7:47 am
Not just adjuncts and even at the flagship
Back in the 1980s I needed to find a job in the middle of an academic year when my job was defunded. I was then hired to teach full time at Penn State for a semester. There I taught a 50% heavier load than regular faculty in the same department and was paid a whooping $10,000 for the term. Worse yet, even though I was a full time faculty employee I was denied medical insurance benefits because I would be on the payroll for less than 6 months. These people knew no shame.
mickfan - January 20, 2011 at 8:00 am
While I support fair compensation for hard work and the valuable contributions of temporary faculty, it’s not apples to apples. Tenure-track and tenured faculty are evaluated on a completely different scale. They do not regularly have service, advising, or scholarly obligations; often do not have terminal degrees; and often are hired from local university masters’ programs (CERTAINLY not always–please see the generalization before jumping in). Few were hired through very competitive national searches as were their permanent colleagues.
Agreed, PA does not put enough support into higher ed, and it’s likely to get much worse under the new governor. I agree that the pay is sometimes not what it should be, but let’s acknowledge the differences. PASSHE schools (of which Penn State is not) pay their temp faculty well, comparatively. Fulltime temps receive $45,000 a year at the lowest step and rank. Per course it’s about $5400. Decent.
11152886 - January 20, 2011 at 3:24 pm
Well, its not decent at other institutions! My colleague has a terminal MFA in Sculpture and Glassblowing. He was hired after a national search. Has been part-time as a “resident artist) for 14 years. Five years ago his studio priviledges were cut the summer and during Christmas holidays because the equipment has been shut down to save money. He does advising and other departmental responsibilities, including Senior Projects (which studio majors must complete to graduate) because he cares about his glass students. He is permitted to buy health insurance. The department chair teaches one course more and receives 3/4′s more pay and perks. He is 50 so although a fantastic glassblower and teacher, it is difficult to compete for positions with recent grads who work for even less. It is SHAMEFUL! Educational institutions are disgraceful with regard to part-time employees, I don’t care how this black hole for the MAJORITY of part-time educators in educational institutions is disguised or rationalized.
dlc26 - January 20, 2011 at 9:39 pm
The reason that temporary faculty get paid a “decent” salary at PASSHE schools is the union contract. The faculty union, APSCUF, negotiates a contract for all faculty, not only tenure track. At the same time, they work to keep the numbers of tenure track faculty as high as possible so that more faculty are on the pay scale ladder and can increase their salary through promotion and longevity. Unfortunately, these increases are not typically available to temporary faculty.
physicsprof - January 20, 2011 at 10:43 pm
If you are a research active faculty supported by outside grants, the last thing you would want is a union. At least in sciences.